Sick Clones
by CaptainCold and HeatWave
Summary: Fallout, so named because he was the only clone to survive fallout from a strange weapon that has disappeared, begins to notice side affects that he ignores. But then he is struck with an illness. An illness completely unknown to the galaxy. Until now.
1. Chapter 1

_(Hey guys! Back with another story, don't worry, all the ones I'm working on WILL be finished! I just try to get reviews before going on:). Please review which story you would like continued before the others!)_

Chapter I: Confusion

Fallout, clone of the 7th Sky Corpse, rolled behind a small pile of rubble, breathing heavily as red plasma bolts bit into the ground he had just vacated.

"Shab." Fallout swore, trying to slow his labored breathing. "What the hell!" He pulled of his helmet, wondering why his breathing was so difficult...Again.

Fallout looked up as Commander Cody shouted an order, Captain Rex calling his own to the pinned down 501st troopers they had been sent in to rescue...Again.

Frowning, Fallout cursed his bad luck. He had begun to notice signs of...illness. Shortness of breath, agitation of the throat and chest, increased aggression and anger, and several other shortcomings that had started to affect him a few weeks ago. Of course, he wouldn't breath a word of it to anyone. Why would he want to leave his brothers at the front when he couldn't be there with them?

Fallout looked up as Obi-Wan Kenobi called his troops to rally.

Pushing himself up on burning muscles, Fallout staggered to his general's side.

"You alright, Fallout?"

Fallout waved a hand at Baol, the medic of the 7th Sky Corps, and one of his best comrades. Bonded not only as hatchmates, but through the dangers and loss of war as well.

Kenobi was shouting again, but Fallout could only hear the ringing in his ears as he swayed in places, eyes out of focus.

"Shab." Fallout gasped, grabbing Cody's shoulder to keep from falling, but knocking the clone commander off balance as well. Realizing his mistake, Fallout pulled his hand away as Cody attempted to regain balance.

Fallout stayed silent as his commander's helmeted head turned back to face him, a somewhat confused or quizzical expression airing around him.

"Sorry sir." Fallout muttered, Cody nodding slightly as he turned away.

"Hell, I've got to be more careful." Fallout mumbled to himself as he ran forward with the other clones.

A long battle ensued, ending with the clones victorious. But then, something terrible happened. Fallout sat down to rest as his brothers continued to search for the human bounty hunter: Orion Paxx.

Fallout heard air whistle as he was struck across the face by a rifle. His helmet was knocked from his head as he turned to his assailant. Standing before him was Orion Paxx.

Fallout crouched silently, trembling as burning heat consumed him, staring up as the human leveled his gun with his head.

Suddenly, Fallout felt his vision blur, and the burning heat overtake his will as he leapt at the human, and sank his teeth in to soft flesh of the hunter's throat. With a strangled cry, they both fell to the ground, Fallout completely unaware of what was happening.


	2. Chapter II: Horrible Discovery

Chapter II: Horrible Discovery.

_(A/N: Hey guys, back with chapter two... there aren't any reviews on most of my stories, and if there are, it's very old... If there is anything wrong with my stories, please let me know so that I can fix it... Thanks... And enjoy! :3)_

Fallout came back to his normal consciousness, wandering around the ruins nearby their lines. The voice shouted again. The voice that had pulled him back to consciousness...

"Fallout! Damn it! Fallout, are you OK?" Bolt, one of Fallout's hatchmates, was tugging on his arm. "Fallout?"

"I-I'm fine." Fallout stammered. His head was pounding, and his vision obscured. "Fine."

Bolt looked at him, suspicion in his eyes, but Fallout looked away from him.

"What happened to your mouth?" Bolt asked.

Fallout looked at Bolt, wondering what he could be talking about, he put a hand to his lips feeling something thick and sticky... Blood.

"You're not Ok, Fallout." Bolt grabbed his friend's arm, but Fallout pulled away. "I'm fine. Probably hit my mouth on something." He responded, just as confused as Bolt was.

"You did more than that. You aren't even walking straight!" Bolt responded, annoyance leaking into his voice as he tried again to take Fallout's arm.

"I said I was fine!" Fallout turned on Bolt, anger suddenly bubbling up inside.

Bolt stood still, staring at Fallout with a somewhat sad, maybe hurt, expression. "You're not." He responded, more softly that before.

Fallout shook his head, ashamed. "I'm sorry, Bolt. I don't know why I got angry. Forgive me."

Bolt nodded, but the worry didn't leave his eyes as he stared silently at his hatchmate, one of his closest things to family.

"I'm fine." Fallout whispered hoarsely, staggering away to find something to rinse his mouth with.

Bolt stood silently, watching his friend stagger off toward their lines, silent and suspicious. Something wasn't right about Fallout... He KNEW it was Fallout, because he knew his brother's face as well as his own... but it _wasn't_ Fallout's spirit, attitude.

Bolt looked at the place he had found Fallout wandering. He had seen his friend from afar off, and gone to see what he was doing. Fallout was pacing, a harsh, staggering pace, as if he was stalking something or... guarding.

Suspicious, Bolt made his way over to the large pile of rubbish and debris, his gun ready and eyes sharp as he made his way around the pile.

"Shab." Bolt swore aloud, staring down at his discovery. Orion Paxx, the bounty hunter they were searching everywhere for, was lying on his back, eyes frozen to forever stare at the creature that had killed him, mouth open wide in a silenced scream, head hanging to one side, flesh having been gouged from his throat.

"Shab. Oh, no, shab!" Bolt collapsed to his knees next to Paxx, tears blurring his eyes as he struck the ground with his fist. "NO!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter III:**

"Fallout. What happened to your mouth?" Baol, the medic of the 7th Sky Corps, asked as he inspected the drying blood.

"I don't know what happened." Fallout answered honestly. "I don't even feel like there's a wound."

Baol nodded slowly, handing him a rag. "Wipe it off and check. You might've just come under the spray of someone else." He said, turning his attention to another wounded brother.

Fallout wipe off the blood and felt around for a wound, which he didn't find. Shrugging, he tossed the rag and began to patrol the section of perimeter he had been given.

Bolt appeared and looked at him, a haunting expression in his eyes as he looked at him.

Fallout stopped his pacing and looked at his friend. "What's the matter, Bolt?" He asked.

Bolt visibly swallowed. "I found Orion Paxx, Fallout." He answered hoarsely.

"What's the matter with that?" Fallout asked curiously, wondering what had come over his friend and hatchmate.

"He's dead, Fallout. Throat torn open." Bolt responded softly.

Fallout's mouth dropped open. "How'd that happen? There wouldn't be any creatures around here." He paused for a moment, thinking. "Well, none that could do that!" He added.

Bolt looked around him for a moment, checking for anyone that may be able to hear what he was about to say next.

Waiting patiently, Fallout felt confused over how his friend could've changed so quickly. He was pale, nervous and scared. Nothing ever scared Bolt. At least, nothing natural.

Finally, Bolt looked up at Fallout, searching his eyes for several moments. "I think you did it, Fallout." He announced softly.

Fallout felt his stomach drop. "Me?" He demanded, shocked. "Why would I kill Paxx? Our orders were to take him alive!" He added, utterly surprised that his friend would accuse him of something so horrible.

Bolt stared at him for a long moment before answering. "Did you not kill him?" He asked.

Fallout, angered, opened his mouth to respond when his friends grabbed his shoulders firmly, forcing him to look into his eyes. "Can you tell me honestly that you _didn't_ kill Paxx?" He demanded.

Fallout paused, unsure of how he should answer. He hadn't seen Paxx during battle, and afterwards he had had dementia, wandering the battlefield in confusion. He couldn't have killed Paxx in such a vulnerable state!

"I don't know." He answered, voice trembling. "I couldn't have. I can't even remember the end of the battle, or what happened before you found me wandering around." He said, looking up at Bolt. "I don't know."

"Shab'la, Fallout." Bolt released his shoulders, fear and confusion in his eyes. "What if you did?"

"I don't know if I did! That doesn't mean I did it!" Fallout responded angrily.

Bolt swung to face him. "But what if you _did_ Fallout? What then?" He demanded, fear and panic etched across his face. "What if that explosion..." He murmured a few moments under his breath before turning back to Fallout. "What if that explosion that killed all your squadmates... Have you been feeling different? Like, have things happened that you never had happen before?" He asked urgently.

Fallout paused. Should he tell Bolt of the signs he had been having lately? The shortness of breath, agitation of throat and chest, the double vision? The increase of anger and aggression? _No._ His mind answered. Looking up, he spoke the word aloud. "No." He answered. "I haven't felt anything wrong."

Bolt's eyes narrowed. "Something tells me that you're lying."

Fallout felt anger well up in him as he turned on Bolt. "Are you calling me a liar?" He demanded.

A calm, although troubled, expression was etched across his hatchmate's face as he responded. "I don't know."

Angered, Fallout struck Bolt, fast and hard, surprising his brother.

Bolt staggered backward, eyes wide with shock and a slight touch of anger. He opened his mouth to speak when Fallout jumped upon his brother, striking him with both fists.

Bolt tried to block his angered brother's attack, failing. "Fallout!" He shouted.

His name, spoken by that voice, in that way, broke Fallout from his blinded anger. He stared down at Bolt, shock, fear and anguish welling up within him.

"Fallout?" Bolt asked softly, staring up at him, a look of fear and betrayal in his eyes.

"Bolt... I." Fallout looked away.

"Fallout." Bolt whispered.

Fallout looked down at his brother. "I think you're right... I think I _did_ kill Orion Paxx."


End file.
